One Hundred Galleons
by Elivania
Summary: ADMMA chess game between two old friends gives joy to more than just the players.


One Hundred Galleons 

Minerva McGonagall was determined to win this chess game. Chess had always been her passion, aside from Transfiguration, and she had never lost more than a dozen games in the last 30 years. Until last night.

She looked across the board to eye her opponent. Albus Dumbledore was thinking quickly. She could tell that her latest move had taken him by surprise, and she would soon reap the benefits of her strategy. She would not lose to this man again. The quickness of his moves last night had surprised her and made her lose her concentration. She had lost horribly.

"Queen to E-5," his soft calm voice instructed the pieces. _Yes!_ Minerva thought to herself. _I've got him now._ She let a tiny smile slip through her perfect poker face.

"Bishop to E-5," she said somewhat triumphantly. "Check-Mate." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in congratulations.

"Well, it seems as though my first victory will stay my only one for the time being," he said while eyeing his younger opponent. "You have out-witted me yet again, my dear."

Minerva smiled. "Don't put yourself down, Albus. You did beat me last night." He inclined his head in agreement, never taking his twinkling blue eyes off of the woman sitting in front of him.

She was his closest and dearest friend of many years. Ever since she first spoke up in his Transfiguration class, he had always had a special interest in her. She was a powerful, intelligent, witty, stern, and had quick reflexes despite her years. And he valued her friendship and opinion more than anyone else's.

He watched as she brought her favorite emerald teacup to her lips. Emerald was her favorite color. Though a deep blue had always looked ravishing on her, and she did have a fondness for it.

Minerva felt his gaze and moved her eyes to match him. "What are you looking at?" she asked him teasingly.

"You." She blushed. He always had had a knack for saying the right thing. He had always been there for her, as a mentor and as a great friend. She couldn't imagine life without his witty remarks.

_Or his mere presence. _

She snapped out of her trance at the thought. That was absurd. "Anything in particular?" she asked him cautiously. She didn't feel like blushing again. There was no reason for her to act like a young witch again.

He smiled at the question. He would never answer that he had been admiring her lips. "Your broach," he answered simply. "You have never worn any other broach since you became the Gryffindor Head of House forty years ago."

She chuckled. Leave it to Albus Dumbledore to stare at a broach. "So? I happen to like this broach. It goes well with my robes." _It's because he gave it to you,_ a little voice said. Minerva mentally shook the thought off. It was true that he had given it to her forty years ago, but that was not the reason why she wore it. Was it?

She shook the question off. "So," she began so as to change the subject. "You wouldn't believe who I walked into in the Gryffindor Common Room."

"Who?" He could see Minerva's much younger self emerge every time she was to tell a story of a new couple at Hogwarts. She always turned a little pinker, and she had a mischievous look in her eye as well.

"Mr. Weasley and Miss Lovegood," she informed him. He chuckled aloud.

"And, what pray tell, were they doing that made it so that you 'walked in on them'?"

"Apparently Miss Lovegood has been working on charms with Mr. Weasley for the last few weeks, and they…er…got a little close." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with pleasure as he laughed again. He had seen a romantic development between those two for the past few weeks. A few more glances in passing, being closer than was needed. _Ah, young love,_ he said to himself.

Minerva was staring at the older man in front of her. He had always found pleasure in watching the students grow together. One of his favorites, as she recalled him telling her, was the complete turn around in the Lily-James relationship. Lily had gone from hating James to loving him within just a few short years. She had never seen Albus take more joy from anything else than he did the students blossoming friendships. She smiled outwardly with the thought. The day that Lily and James announced their engagement, Dumbledore hadn't stopped smiling for a week.

"What are you thinking of?" Dumbledore asked her as he noticed the gradual smile lighten up her face. He loved her smile. So tender, so sweet. It allowed the younger Minerva that he had first met to surface, even if it was for only a few seconds.

"I'm just thinking of all of the romances that have gone through this school. Lily and James, Molly and Arthur, now Luna and Ronald," she answered her smile still spread across her face.

"Don't forget Harry and Hermione," Dumbledore reminded her. The statement was worth her reaction. She was utterly shocked.

"W-What? Miss-Miss G-Granger?" she stuttered out. "When did that happen?" "It hasn't yet, but it will, my dear," he answered her. He had that mischievous look in his eyes again. McGonagall gave him a teasing glare.

"Albus Dumbledore, what are you planning?" She knew that nothing good could come out of that look in his eyes. The last time he tried to throw two people together was in her second year of teaching. That ended in utter disaster. "I thought I told you never attempt matchmaking again," she scolded him. He chuckled at her reprimand.

"Don't worry, my dear," he said through a wide smile, "I am not going to quit my day job." That was the third time that he had called her 'my-dear.' Was that supposed to mean something? Her smiled faded with her slight confusion. Dumbledore noticed. "Is there something wrong, Minerva?" She met his gaze again.

"No. There is nothing wrong. Why?" He didn't really know how to answer. Had he said something? Her expression had changed so suddenly.

"Are you sure?" That was all he could think to say. She nodded as she picked up her teacup to take another sip of the soothing liquid. He watched as her lips tightened around the brim of the cup.

Snapping himself out of yet another trance, he looked at the chessboard. But he could not hide the slight color that rose to his cheeks.

It was Minerva's turn to ask. "Are _you_ sure that you are alright?" He was fine. Just felt a little awkward around her at the moment. It was getting late. He looked at the large Grandfather clock in the corner.

"My goodness!" he said rather loudly. "It is almost midnight. It seems as though our chess game lasted longer that we expected, my dear." He said it again. The fourth time that night.

"Oh!" was her response. She put down her cup, and stood up still a little confused at his behavior. "I better get back to my office and finish a few more essays before I go to bed." She moved towards the door, but was stopped by his voice.

"Minerva?"

"Yes, Albus?" she asked with a curious bubbling of hope in her breath. What was she hoping for? He paused a little longer that he meant to.

"Good night, Minerva," he said at last.

"Good night, Albus," she said somewhat disappointed. Why was she even the most remotely disappointed? The door clicked softly as she left. He waited a few moments, and after debating with himself, he followed her through the door hoping to catch up.

Minerva was barely down the corridor when she was startled by his voice from behind her.

"Minerva, wait," he called to her as he walked briskly towards her.

"What is it, Albus?" She was so confused.

"I…" What was he doing? Could he really expect her to take this the right way?

"You what?" There was a slight ring of hopeful anticipation in her voice. Dumbledore took a deep breath, and stepped closer to her.

"We have been close friends for so many years," he began. She nodded in agreement. "But there is something that I have never told you."

Minerva held in the gasp that was trying to escape her. What was he going to tell her? "What is that?" she asked him cautiously. His blue eyes weren't sparkling. They were nervous and serious. She had never seen him this way. She had also never been this close to him before.

He took a deep breath. It was now, or he would never be able to tell her. "I love you."

Those three little words had more of effect than Minerva could ever have imagined they could. She was…relieved. She was happy. Because at that moment in her life, she realized that she was in love as well. She was in love with the most compassionate, kind, powerful, and intelligent man she knew. She was in love with Albus Dumbledore. She barely heard the next sentence that he spoke.

"I have loved you since you became my colleague. Since you became my closest friend." She still said nothing. The first statement was still vibrating through her whole body. He loved her. He had loved her for over fifty years, and had never told her.

"Minerva?" She hadn't said anything. She hadn't even seemed to have reacted to what he had just revealed to her.

She slowly came out of her revelation. "Oh, Albus," she began. "I love you." This statement sent so much happiness through him, that Albus Dumbledore was frozen with joy. "I have loved you for so long," she told him.

For the first time in their lives, they finally shared the kiss that they had both secretly wished for.

Little did they know that one person had stumbled upon the scene they made. Professor Sprout was smiling from ear to ear. She had watched their little dance for as long as she had been teaching. But now, it seemed, the music had ended and a new dance would begin. Still smiling broadly, she silently backed away and went in search of Severus Snape. He now owed her one hundred galleons.


End file.
